Interactive communication device

Abstract

A server system ( 1 ) is connected to a number of remote displays ( 5 - 7 ) for messages for broadcasting by a communication network ( 8 ). The audiovisual messages ( 4 ) received from the server system ( 1 ) are made perceptible for the clients ( 2, 3 ). The clients can send coded instruction signals ( 16 ) to a first access device ( 5 a - 7 a ), located near a display ( 5 - 7 ), by portable client badges ( 14, 15 ), which are transmitted to the server system ( 1 ) which then establishes a back-up communication ( 18 ) with the client ( 2 ), for example, through a portable telephone. The client can thus simply establish communication and, when the server system ( 1 ) has information specifically concerning the above, the information need not be transmitted over the network.

1 - 18 . (canceled)  
   
   
       19 . An interactive communication device comprising: 
 at least one server system, said server system having storage means containing an area for information relating to a plurality of customers,    a means placed at a distance from the server system for displaying broadcast audiovisual messages,    a communication network between the server system and the display means,    at least one first access means placed in or near a display means with which it is associated,    at least one mobile customer badge assigned to a customer and adapted, in response to a specific action of the customer, to enter into the first access means an instruction signal coming from the customer,    wherein:    the area for information relating to a plurality of customers contains additional data necessary for following up customer instructions,    the storage means contain an area for broadcast audiovisual messages,    the storage means contain an interactive communication program,    the interactive communication device comprises a plurality of means for displaying individual broadcast messages,    the communication network is adapted to transmit broadcast audiovisual messages chosen by the program from the server system to the display means,    the instruction signal is a coded instruction signal containing a customer identification code and an instruction chosen by the customer from a plurality of possible instructions, and    the first access means transmits to the server system via the communication network an instruction message that contains the instruction chosen by the customer, the customer identification code and an identifier of the display means.    
   
   
       20 . The interactive communication device according to  claim 19 , wherein the display means are screens and electroacoustic transducers for presenting audiovisual messages placed at positions making them perceptible by the customers.  
   
   
       21 . The interactive communication device according to  claim 19 , wherein the mobile customer badge comprises an input interface enabling the customer to enter an instruction chosen from a plurality of possible instructions by an appropriate specific action.  
   
   
       22 . The interactive communication device according to  claim 21 , wherein the mobile customer badge comprises a plurality of keys each corresponding to a specific instruction and which, when pressed, generate a coded instruction signal containing the corresponding specific instruction.  
   
   
       23 . The interactive communication device according to  claim 22 , wherein one of the keys may be operated more than once in succession to generate successively an order instruction and then a payment instruction.  
   
   
       24 . The interactive communication device according to  claim 22 , wherein the mobile customer badge comprises at least one key associated with a fingerprint recognition device and the device comprises means for inhibiting execution of the specific instruction in the event of non-recognition of one or more fingerprints previously stored by the customer.  
   
   
       25 . The interactive communication device according to  claim 21 , wherein: 
 the mobile customer badge is a magnetic stripe card, an optical stripe card or a microchip card in which the customer identification code is stored,    the first access means is a card reader adapted to read the customer identification code in a card that is presented to it.    
   
   
       26 . The interactive communication device according to  claim 21 , wherein: 
 the mobile customer badge comprises an electromagnetic signal sender adapted to send the coded instruction signal in the form of a coded electromagnetic signal in response to a specific action of the customer, and    the first access means is an electromagnetic signal receiver adapted to receive said coded electromagnetic signal and to extract therefrom the customer identification code and the instruction corresponding to the specific action of the customer.    
   
   
       27 . The interactive communication device according to  claim 26 , wherein the mobile customer badge is a cellular mobile telephone.  
   
   
       28 . The interactive communication device according to  claim 26 , wherein: 
 the mobile customer badge is adapted to receive electromagnetic acknowledgment signals,    the first access means comprises a sender and means for generating and sending an electromagnetic acknowledgment signal after reception of a coded instruction signal from the mobile customer badge, and    the mobile customer badge is adapted to emit a status signal perceptible by the user and indicating whether the first access means has received the coded instruction signal correctly.    
   
   
       29 . The interactive communication device according to  claim 19 , wherein: 
 it comprises a return transmission means adapted to set up directly a follow-up call to the customer from the server system or a service provider system designated by the server system,    the program of the server system is adapted to choose and to set up the follow-up call as a function of the coded instruction signal received from the customer and information contained in the area for information relating to a plurality of customers.    
   
   
       30 . The interactive communication device according to  claim 29 , wherein the return transmission means is the cellular mobile telephone network of the cellular mobile telephone.  
   
   
       31 . The interactive communication device according to  claim 29 , wherein the return transmission means is a means for transmitting text messages, such as the postal service, electronic mail, facsimile, electronic messages.  
   
   
       32 . The interactive communication device according to  claim 29 , wherein the program of the server system launches the execution of the customer's specific instruction directly without setting up a follow-up call if the instruction involves a financial transaction whose amount is below a predefined threshold.  
   
   
       33 . The interactive communication device according to  claim 29 , wherein the server system comprises a voice recognition device associated with the return transmission means and means for inhibiting execution of the specific instruction in the event of non-recognition of the previously recorded voice of the customer.  
   
   
       34 . The interactive communication device according to  claim 19 , wherein: 
 a subroutine contained in said program instructs the server system to store the time of transmission to each display means of each broadcast audiovisual message,    on receiving an instruction message, the program of the server system combines the specific coded instruction signal, the identifier of the display means, the time of generation of the coded instruction signal and the remainder of the broadcast messages to determine the broadcast audiovisual message that was being displayed at the time of generation of the coded instruction signal and to deduce therefrom the action to be performed.    
   
   
       35 . The interactive communication device according to  claim 19 , wherein: 
 the mobile customer badge contains a stack of customer identification codes stored in a memory of the badge in a random order,    the server system contains the same stack of customer identification codes stored in the same random order in a memory of the server,    the mobile customer badge associates with each specific instruction the next higher customer identification code in the stack of customer identification codes, and    on each reception of an instruction message, the server system compares the customer identification code received with the next higher customer identification code in its own stack of customer identification codes and inhibits execution of the customer's specific instruction if they are different.    
   
   
       36 . The interactive communication device according to  claim 19 , wherein the coded instruction signals and/or the instruction messages are encrypted using keys distributed in a random selection mode.